Relationships between psychological capital, professional commitment, and academic burnout among nursing students: A cross-sectional study in China

Abstract

Abstract Background: College students generally experience academic burnout, seriously affecting their normal learning as well as physical and mental well-being. This paper aims to examine the level of academic burnout among nursing students from traditional Chinese medicine ( TCM ) universities, and to determine whether professional commitmentacts as a mediator between psychological capital and academic burnout. Methods: This cross-sectional study used convenience sampling to recruit 733 voluntary student participants from a four-year undergraduate nursing program at a TCM university in Shandong Province, China, from April to June 2020. All participants completed self-reported questionnaires online. The mediating role of professional commitment was evaluated using the bootstrap method. Results: Psychological capitaland professional commitmenthad a significantly negative correlation academic burnout (both p < 0.01), and psychological capital was positively related to professional commitment (p < 0.01). Additionally, psychological capital and academic burnout were partially mediated by professional commitment (b = -0.223, 95% Confidence Interval = -0.282–0.168). Conclusions: It was found that psychological capitaland professional commitment contribute to reducing academic burnout, while psychological capitalenhances professional commitment. Moreover, professional commitment was a mediator between psychological capital and academic burnout. Thus, Effective strategies should be implemented to strengthen psychological capital and professional commitment and alleviate academic burnout.